The former mayor of Strathfield has told the the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) that he agreed to accept a $200,000 bribe from a property developer because he did not know how else to handle the situation.

The former mayor of Strathfield Council, Alfred Tsang, will appear before the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) in New South Wales today in the first public hearings into whether he improperly accepted money from a developer.